Fire Volunteers, Dolle’s Earn State Recognition

OCEAN CITY – On Monday morning Comptroller Peter Franchot presented proclamations to Ocean City Volunteer Fire Company (OCVFC) and Dolle’s Candyland on the Boardwalk for their commitment to residents and summertime visitors alike.

At fire headquarters on 15th Street, Franchot presented the proclamation to OCVFC President Chris Christello while other members were present along with Senator Jim Mathias.

“First of all, congratulations to Ocean City on the Dew Tour. That made Maryland look so good on NBC Sports and as a tax collector I am always delighted to see a good summer season shaking up Ocean City because it is one of the goal posts of our state’s economy,” Franchot said. “So, hats off to everybody … especially to the fire rescue and volunteer company. They handled all sorts of emergencies all weekend. Ocean City was packed with family events, and people really enjoyed themselves. The proclamation today is to give credit where credit is due to the volunteer fire fighters. They are a big family in Ocean City, a very important family.”

Franchot mentioned his great predecessor Louis Goldstein who prioritized volunteer fire companies and traveled the state to visit individual departments.

“It is a positive for the state to have an official drop in on volunteer companies and thank them for the way they protect and strengthen our communities,” Franchot said.

State’s Attorney for Worcester County Beau Oglesby was also in attendance to recognize Ocean City’s fire volunteers.

“Anytime you are dealing with an institute that survives based on the time of volunteers is incredible right of the bat but to see the level of service they continue to provide to a jurisdiction like this that has so many unique issues considering the rise in population in the summer, it is just fantastic and very professional,” Oglesby said.

The second proclamation delivered included a tour of Dolle’s Candyland, a fixture on the Ocean City Boardwalk for more than 100 years. The comptroller honored Andrew Dolle and Anna Dolle Bushnell for providing Ocean City residents and visitors a place to satisfy their sweet tooth for more than a century.

“A proclamation from the State of Maryland awarded to Dolle’s Candyland in Ocean City, Md. in recognition of four generations. How outstanding, and what a great feeling that is,” Franchot said. “The fourth generation, family-owned store making delicious candy including the famous saltwater taffy. Your hard work and commitment has been appreciated by your customers since 1910, and serves as a model for everyone in Maryland.”

Franchot handed out medals to both Dolle’s and OCVFC representatives, again recognizing Goldstein, who handed out gold coins as he walked up and down Ocean City’s beach.

“Dolle’s is Ocean City, and the family is fantastic people. They mean a lot to us. They always have been a part of the local law enforcement, and they are very near and dear to my heart,” Oglesby said, pointing out the many donations the business has made to a long list of organizations over the years.

Andrew Dolle responded they are happy to be able to give back to the community.

“We are very happy to be here, and we are still here serving the community and we are able to help out the best we can,” he said. “We do a lot in the community other than being just a business. We work with the community and give donations, and we are happy to be able to do things like that.”

Anna Dolle Bushnell was proud to accept the proclamation on behalf of Dolle’s Candyland.

“We really appreciate this. It is an honor, and we are honored to still be here in Ocean City serving sweet treats. We are proud of what we do … as our business has grown over the past 13 years we have taken on different duties,” she said, preparing to lead the comptroller on a tour of the facility to show how the business has grown.

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